Daily Times meets Goodluck Jonathan, 5 lads from Brighton, UK. Not only do they awkwardly share a name with President Goodluck Jonathan, but these guys also produce a captivating yet favourable sound, as their brand of indie rock helps gain them exposure as well as some good luck.
When did Goodluck Jonathan begin?
We’ve been together as Goodluck Jonathan for nearly 2 years now, early days we’re only 21.
What is the story behind the band?
There isn’t much of a story, we have been friends for a long time now and we’ve always been playing music. One day we decided to take it seriously and move to Brighton together.
How did you choose the band name?
It was an interesting name and he was an interesting person, its up to the audience to take what they will from it. We don’t want to lean too hard on it as a name is just a name, we hope in the future for our music to be the main way people identify us.
You have been classified as a blend of indie and post rock. What is your actual genre?
Don’t think we really fit one genre. It’s hard to categorise music these days. Maybe its better to say- if you like music labelled ‘Post-Rock’ or ‘Indie’ you will like us.
Have there been benefits to sharing a name with the President of Nigeria?
It was a great day for us when we found out we had the President’s blessing. We never thought our music would ever spread to the man himself. Other than that we just keep ourselves to ourselves, we’re not trying to jump on his bandwagon. It has been interesting though hearing from Nigerians about their views on the country, we would never have had a chance to hear these opinions, but really we just want as many people to hear our music as possible.
Your debut album ‘This is Our Way Out’ is a compilation of your EPs released to date. You have been able to differentiate your sound and show progression made with each EP. What kind of sound do we expect to hear on the second album?
It’s quite dark, some places are heavier than we’ve been before and others are lighter than we’ve been before. There’s a lot of layers to it in terms of vocals and guitars so its more ‘spacey’. We’ve been piecing it together slowly over the last few months and we can’t wait for you to hear it.
You had ‘Broken Heart’ remixed by BretonLABS. If you could re-record or re-write any song of yours, what would that song be?
Yeah we love that remix, Breton are one of our favourite bands, saw them live the other day and it was astonishing. We have recorded our single ‘The Futures Got No Love For Us’ with London based rapper “Braydz” check it out on youtube see what you think. It was great to collaborate for the first time, were looking to do more of that in the future.
What inspired you to write ‘Broken Heart’?
Its about the different ways in which you deal with a new experience when you are young, everything is more intensified and uncertain. We also wanted to experiment musically with going from crashing heavy to something minimal and intimate, the subject matter seemed to fit.
What qualifies you guys to be in Goodluck Jonathan?
An extensive entrance exam and a few physical endurance exercises.
Which influence does each member have that the rest don’t share and where is the common ground?
We’re all into pretty similar music, there have been some great records out over the last year in the UK and its inspiring to see some bands claiming some of the limelight back.
Who writes the songs, and what are they about?
The lyrics are done by Nick (singer) and we all write the music together. For ‘This is our way out’, we drew heavily on our personal experiences. This next record will be more along the lines of creating our own reality.
What do you guys have planned for the future?
It would be nice to get on the road and play our new material. Everything is new in our set and there is a fresh feel about it. We’re currently working on integrating projected visuals and more instruments to add extra elements to the live show. We are looking to start playing shows outside the uk too. In the long term we just want to have the chance to keep making records and being able to better ourselves each time.
Are there going to be visits to Nigeria and would you like to meet the President?
We would love to meet the President, still waiting on our invites though. Everyone in Nigeria has been good to us, our name choice could have been contentious yet it has been fully embraced.
What comes first, the lyrics or the music?
Music comes first for us 9 times out of 10, we like to have the majority of the song finished before we look at lyrics. It just helps us make sure every element of the song is in alignment with each other.
Finally, any last words to fans?
Keep on listening, stay safe.
